Put on the Garment of Praise

Read Isaiah 61:1-3.

At the start of His public ministry, Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read this prophecy from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord‘s favor . . .” (61:1-2, see also Luke 4:14-30). He then declared it fulfilled, announcing Himself as Messiah. Isaiah’s prophecy about our Savior goes on to promise that Jesus would bestow on us “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).

There are a few things you need to know about this garment of praise. You are not born with it—it’s a gift that you have to put on. It will do you no good hanging in your closet; you must choose to wear it, to wrap yourself in it. You see, true praise is like a river that flows out of your heart, and it’s fed by your gratitude to God.

God has given us innumerable reasons to praise Him and even the desire to praise Him. Still, we have to participate in praise. We have to choose the praise-filled life. You have to choose to put on the garment of praise every day, rejecting the spirit of despair.

When Jesus read Isaiah 61, He was telling us that in Him, we can exchange our garment of sadness for His garment of gladness. In Christ, you can replace your garment of despair with His garment of praise. You can throw away your garment of sorrow and cloak yourself with His healing, power, and forgiveness. It is only when we praise the name of Jesus that the cloud of discouragement evaporates.

When we move our lips in praise and worship on a daily basis, God brings His power, strength, and joy into our lives. It is only when we fix our eyes on Jesus, when we hope in Him, that we will “soar on wings like eagles; . . . run and not grow weary, . . . walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Prayer: Lord, thank You for providing me with the garment of praise through Christ Jesus. Help me to wear it daily. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.